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Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
- How can I intervene appropriately to help my child with reading homework?
- How can I help my child practice spelling words?
- How can I help my child with comprehension?
- What are sight words that my child should be able to read?
- What are meaningful questions that I can ask my child when reading?
- What if my child does not read with enough speed and accuracy?
- What are some writing connections to reading?
- What if my child has difficulty learning spelling words?
- What is a fun way to help my child with spelling words?
- How do I help my child read challenging words?
- What is the definition of reading?
- What can I do to help my child benefit from what he/she reads? (for teachers)
How can I intervene appropriately to help my child with reading homework? Intervening With Your Child During Reading
Remember, the most important thing to do is wait 3 seconds and
give
the child time to discover and correct a problem.
When the student gets off track, say:
-�Point to each word as you read.�
-�Try that again and touch under each word.�
When the student substitutes a wrong word, say:
-�Does that make sense? Try it again.�
-�Does that sound right? Try it again.�
-�Let�s look at this word again. What letter do you see
at
the beginning?�
-�Try using this sound to say the word.� (Point to the
first letter)
-�Could this word be (repeat the error)? Why not?�
-� (say error word) makes sense, but look at the first
letter.�
-You can observe, let him/her read to the end of the
sentence
and see if he/she catches the error. If not, say, �That
didn�t make sense; try it again.�
When the student comes to a word and just stops, say:
-�What can you do to figure out that word?�
-�Does the picture help?�
-�What would make sense? Read it again.�
-�Could that word be (use the correct word if it�s too
complex)?
Try it.�
-�Is there a part of the word that you can read?�
When the student makes a self correction,say:
-�You used a good reading strategy. You were listening to
what
you read and knew it didn�t sound right. You reread and
corrected it yourself. Great job!�
-�How did you know it wasn�t right the first time?�
-�How did you figure out the right word?�
When a word is too challenging or a sight word that can�t be
sounded
out:
-Give the word and keep the story flowing.
How can I help my child practice spelling words? 1. Say the word to your child.
2. The child needs to repeat it back to you.
3. The child needs to spell the word orally to you.
4. The child writes the word on paper. Check for accuracy.
5. The child reads the word back to you.
6. At the end of the practice test, have the child read the word
list
back to you. Have child rewrite each missed word 3 times
each. I
suggest practicing early in the week and use the rest of the
week to
work on challenging words.
How can I help my child with comprehension? Comprehension Strategies
Prereading
*Set a purpose for reading-what do you need to find or
figure out?
*Think about what you already know about the topic.
*Look at the pictures and predict what the story is going
to be
about.
*Read the captions.
*Read the bold words.
*Read the table of contents.
*Read any summaries.
*Read the questions at the end of the chapter (if there
are any).
During Reading
*If a word doesn�t make sense, go back and see if you
know a
word that will make sense.
*Re-read the paragraph and look for new information.
*Keep a mental picture of what�s happening in your head.
*Summarize! Stop every page or two and summarize main
points.
*Do you need more information from your teacher or a
friend to
understand what is happening?
After Reading
*Do a text check - was this too hard, too easy, or just
right?
*Re-read the section and look for new details.
*Develop your own questions. What do you think is the
most important theme or ideas in the text? What is
the
author trying to say?
*Check your predictions from pre-reading. Were you
right? If not,
can you figure out why not?
What are sight words that my child should be able to read? BREAKDOWN OF THE DOLCH BASIC WORD LIST BY LEVELS
Preprimer
1. a
2. and
3. away
4. big
5. blue
6. can
7. come
8. down
9. find
10. for
11. funny
12. go
13. help
14. here
15. I
16. in
17. is
18. it
19. jump
20. little
21. look
22. make
23. me
24. my
25. not
26. one
27. play
28. red
29. run
30. said
31. see
32. the
33. three
34. to
35. two
36. up
37. we
38. where
39. yellow
40. you
Primer
1. all
2. am
3. are
4. at
5. ate
6. be
7. black
8. brown
9. but
10. came
11. did
12. do
13. eat
14. four
15. get
16. good
17. have
18. he
19. into
20. like
21. must
22. new
23. no
24. now
25. on
26. our
27. out
28. please
29. pretty
30. ran
31. ride
32. saw
33. say
34. she
35. so
36. soon
37. that
38. there
39. they
40. this
41. too
42. under
43. want
44. was
45. well
46. went
47. what
48. white
49. who
50. will
51. with
52. yes
First Grade
1. after
2. again
3. an
4. any
5. as
6. ask
7. by
8. could
9. every
10. fly
11. from
12. give
13. going
14. had
15. has
16. her
17. him
18. his
19. how
20. just
21. know
22. let
23. live
24. may
25. of
26. old
27. once
28. open
29. over
30. put
31. round
32. some
33. stop
34. take
35. thank
36. them
37. then
38. think
39. walk
40. were
41. when
Second Grade
1. always
2. around
3. because
4. been
5. before
6. best
7. both
8. buy
9. call
10. cold
11. does
12. don�t
13. fast
14. first
15. five
16. found
17. gave
18. goes
19. green
20. its
21. made
22. many
23. off
24. or
25. pull
26. read
27. right
28. sing
29. sit
30. sleep
31. tell
32. their
33. these
34. those
35. upon
36. us
37. use
38. very
39. wash
40. which
41. why
42. wish
43. work
44. would
45. write
46. your
Third Grade
1. about
2. better
3. bring
4. carry
5. clean
6. cut
7. done
8. draw
9. drink
10. eight
11. fall
12. far
13. full
14. got
15. grow
16. hold
17. hot
18. hurt
19. if
20. keep
21. kind
22. laugh
23. light
24. long
25. much
26. myself
27. never
28. only
29. own
30. pick
31. seven
32. shall
33. show
34. six
35. start
36. ten
37. today
38. together
39. try
40. warm
41. small
Numbers
1. zero
2. one
3. two
4. three
5. four
6. five
7. six
8. seven
9. eight
10. nine
11. ten
Color Words
1. red
2. orange
3. yellow
4. blue
5. green
6. purple
7. black
8. white
9. gray
10. pink
11. brown
What are meaningful questions that I can ask my child when reading? Reading Questions
1. How did you feel about reading this story? (easy, OK,
difficult/interesting?)
2. What part of the book did you like best? Why?
3. Did anything in the book remind you of an experience that you
have
had? Did it remind you of anything in your own life?
4. Did anything remind you of another book you�ve read?
5. Do you know the author? Illustrator?
6. Why do you think the author wrote the story?
7. Will you retell the story to me in order?
8. How did the story/book begin?
9. Which character in the story was your favorite? Why?
10.Did anything (funny, sad, happy, scary, etc.) happen in the
story?
11.What kinds of problems happened in the story? How were they
solved?
12. How would you have ended the story if you were the author?
13. Did you learn anything new while reading the book?
14. What would you tell your friends about this book? Would you
recommend it? Why? or Why not?
15. Do you want to read other books by this author or on this
topic?
16. Why do you think the author wrote this story? (main idea)
Awareness of the skill of reading:
1. When you get to a word that you don�t know, how do you figure
it out?
2. What do you imagine while you are reading?
3. How do you learn to read faster? With expression?
What if my child does not read with enough speed and accuracy? 1 Minute Repeated Reading
Use when a student is not reading fluently:
Choose a beginning point and ask the student to read for one
minute.
Time him/her, helping with words as needed. Make a note of the
word
stopped on (even if it is mid-sentence). When finished, return to
the
starting point. Tell the student he/she will have one additional
minute to
read and see if he/she can read past the point he/she stopped at
on the
first try. Count the extra words read the second time. Praise
your child
for reading more words in one minute the second time. This is a
powerful strategy to help increase fluency.
This can be used twice daily to help build fluency during the
reading.
What are some writing connections to reading? Writing ideas:
a. Your favorite part of the story,
b. The problem in the story,
c. How the problem was solved (resolution),
d. How you would have ended the story,
e. Something the story reminds you of in your own
life or
in another story that your child has
read.
f. Why you think the author wrote the story.
What if my child has difficulty learning spelling words? Simultaneous Oral Spelling (Finger Spelling)
Strategy used for reading or spelling.
1. The parent pronounces the word slowly and distinctly.
2. The child repeats (echoes) the word.
3. If your child fails to pronounce the word correctly, the
parent
repeats it, at a slower speed, with emphasis where needed,
until
the child can echo it correctly.
4. The child assigns one sound to each of his/her fingers,
tapping fingers to the thumb from left to right. Teach your
child to
use the hand that he/she does not write with. If your child
taps
with the left hand, he/she begins tapping with the index
finger
first with the palm of the hand facing the student. If it is
the
right hand, the child begins tapping on his smallest finger
and
moves in toward the index finger with the palm of the hand
facing
the child.
5. The child spells the word aloud, gesturing with his/her
fingers.
6. The child writes the word, naming the letters again as needed.
7. The child reads aloud the word written, correcting errors if
needed.
8. If your child is spelling a list of words, he/she needs to
read
the entire list after the spelling exercise is completed.
What is a fun way to help my child with spelling words? Make-A-Word is a fun game using lower case plastic letters. They
can
be magnetic or just letter tiles (bought or homemade on cut up
pieces of
index cards).
Make a word is a strategy to use in introducing spelling words.
You can
increase or decrease the support depending on the need of your
child.
Materials: lower case letters
Optional materials: magnet board, cookie sheet, etc. and magnetic
lower case letters. Otherwise use index cards cut in half or
thirds with
the letters written on them.
Sample lesson:
Introducing the �an� rhyming families:
Letters needed: a, c, t, b, f, h, m, n, p, r, s, t
-Adult always moves the letters-not the child. Keep the letters
together
without spacing between them.
-Put the letters c-a-n together. Ask the child to slide his
finger under
the letters and read the word. If difficult-ask child to produce
the three
sounds and model blending the sounds together.
-Remove c and replace it with t (tan). Repeat the process several
times
using different beginning sounds. The child needs to slide under
the
words as he reads them. If this is difficult, practice a few
days until it
becomes more natural. If the child is successful with the task
follow the
same procedure with the �at� family separately (cat, rat, mat,
sat, fat,
bat, hat, pat).
After introducing the �at� and �an� families separately, mix
the two
groups together. (This is a much more difficult task, because the
student has to determine what changed-the beginning or the
ending.)
Example:
Letters: Student response:
c-a-t (change last letter) �cat�
c-a-n (change first letter) �can�
p-a-n (change first letter) �pan�
p-a-t (change last letter) �pat�
continue....
When the student is successful, introduce the �ap� family (map,
tap,
cap, gap, lap, nap, rap, sap) separately, then mix all 3 groups
together.
You can use these letters to practice spelling their spelling
words sent
home from the classroom teacher. Also, if your child doesn't
enjoy
spelling practice at home, a dry erase board that "can only
be used for
words" is a fun way to call out words and have them
practice. Magna
doodle boards also are fun for children to practice spelling
words on.
How do I help my child read challenging words? Word Strategies
Decide if the word is too challenging for your child to decode.
If it is,
give the word and keep the story going. If not then guide your
child to:
1. Look at the picture for a clue.
2. Look at the beginning letter and think about the sound it
makes.
3. Reread the sentence using the sounds to think about what
makes
sense.
4. Look for a smaller word in the unknown word.
5. If the child still doesn't know, tell the child the word.
What is the definition of reading? Definition of Reading
International Reading Association:
Reading is a complex system of deriving meaning from print that
requires all
of the following:
The development and maintenance of a motivation to read
The development of appropriate active strategies to construct
meaning from
print
Sufficient background information and vocabulary to foster
reading
comprehension
The ability to read fluently
The ability to decode unfamiliar words
The skills and knowledge to understand how phonemes or speech
sounds are
connected to print
What can I do to help my child benefit from what he/she reads? (for teachers) READING STRATEGIES THAT BENEFIT ALL LEARNERS
Alternatives to Round Robin Reading
1. Read Aloud After developing a schema and background, introduce
key vocabulary in an interactive and visual way. Have children
practice oral vocabulary. Then read the text aloud to the
students. You may choose to read through the entire text the
first time for continuity. Stop to ask questions when needed
during the second and subsequent readings. When reading narrative
texts, ask students to predict what they think will happen next.
ELLs should have other ways to show what their predictions are,
especially if they are not yet orally proficient in the language
being used. As you encounter words you think students do not
understand, provide pictures, translations or definitions as
needed. Read Aloud is a good way to familiarize students with the
text to prepare them for other kinds of reading. Reading Aloud
exposes students to text that is too difficult for them to read
independently and provides a model for pronunciation, phrasing
and expression. Be sure to read expository passages aloud as well
as children’s literature.
2. Choral Reading Students each have their own copy of a text,
and all read aloud together. Start with short, interesting
passages. The teacher can stand in front of the class to lead
choral reading. Students can also lead if they are comfortable
doing so. When reading dialogues, plays or stories with dialogue,
different groups often read different parts of the text.
Assessment suggestions: After students are comfortable with
a text, have a student-lead the choral reading while you walk
around the room, standing behind individuals as they read. Note
their progress on self- stick notes for individual folders or on
class checklist. This strategy helps children become more fluent
and confident readers.
3. Paired Reading Paired reading is an enjoyable way for two
students to complete a reading assignment or share a story. The
students might go into the hall or designated spot and take turns
reading. They can decide themselves how they will divide the
tasks. Some pairs choose to alternate after every page, some
choose to alternate after each paragraph, etc. One reads and the
other follows along, supporting each other as necessary.
Generally, students of similar reading ability are paired
together. Sometimes a more competent reader is paired with a less
competent one, and the more able reader reads aloud and the less
able follows along. This enables the less able reader to follow
the text visually with little or no pressure.
4. Reciprocal / Paired Reading In this form of paired or group
reading, four readers participate in a discussion about the text.
Each person has one of four roles (Asks a Question; Predicts what
will happens next; Clarifies something that was unclear to the
group, or Summarizes the short passage that was just read) that
he or she fulfills for a particular passage they have just read
together. The students switch cards (roles) and then read the
next section of the texts, perform their new role, switch cards
and so forth until they complete the reading assignment. Students
learn and practice the strategies of summarizing, predicting,
clarifying and question-generating. This reading structure
can be used for fiction and nonfiction texts.
5. Jigsaw Reading. The teacher divides a long reading section
into sections. One or two individuals in a group read each
section and prepare to retell the information in the passage to
the group. When the group meets, each individual tell or teaches
the group about the section he or she read. The teacher uses
a “group quiz” or the numbered heads together” cooperative
learning structure to ensure group responsibility for the
content and to assess comprehension. Each group can be given a
graphic organizer (on large chart paper or a transparency) to
fill out as they prepare their section of the
reading to present to the class.
6. Content Raps Read aloud an important passage from a content-
area text with important new concepts. Using the overhead
projector or chart paper, discuss ways to unlock meaning from the
text. Ask students to help you develop sentences with key
principles and main ideas. Add elements or rhyme, rhythm and
repetition and/or try putting short passages into jazz chants or
raps. Ask students to reread entire passage to acquire supporting
details.
7. Echo Reading This is another way to help children develop
confidence and fluency. Read aloud a line of text. Ask a student
to read the same line. With young children,point to the line of
text as you are reading and encourage the child to do the same.
Continue taking turns reading and rereading same lines. When the
child begins to read with more expression and fluency, suggest
that she/he read aloud on her/his own. This strategy can be used
with expository texts as well as literature.
8. Intensive Reading: Marking a Text Students read and mark a
short text (or use post-its) for a specific purpose,
e.g. “underline the words in this paragraph that you are
not certain about.” The purpose is to assess and then teach
vocabulary. After discussing and resolving questions regarding
the first marking, students read and mark for other purposes and
discuss, e.g. “Circle the key words or phrases you will use to
summarize this passage”. Purpose: to practice summarizing,
paraphrasing and outlining of nonfiction texts].
9. Independent Choice Reading Students are taught how to choose
books at their independent reading level or are given interesting
and appropriate books and are provided with time for sustained
silent reading and time to conference individually with the
teacher. Teachers and students should keep track of the books
they are reading,and teachers should keep a small reading
notebook on each child where they record information they learn
about the child during their periodic reading conferences
(informal running records, student comments and goals,retellings,
list of books read, child’s interests, etc.).The teacher should
date every entry.
10. Guided Reading The teacher works with a small group of
students who have similar reading processes. Books are carefully
leveled. Teachers select and introduce new books and support
students as they read the whole text to themselves. Teachers
typically use many pre-reading strategies such as a picture “walk-
through” of the book,previewing vocabulary and key ideas of the
text, etc.) Based on close observation of students’ reading,
teachers make relevant teaching points during and after reading.
11. Language Experience Approach Teacher acts as a “scribe”
to write down children’s oral responses, retellings, comments,
summaries, etc. of a shared , academic classroom learning
experience (e.g. an experiment, a content area unit of study,
video clip, story read aloud, etc.). The teacher provides a good
model for writing and empowers the children as they see their
words written down. Students read and reread the text that they
have produced. A dapted partially from: McCloskey, M.L. (1998).
Scaffolding for Reading: Providing Support Through Reading
Process, ESL Magazine, November/December 1998.
CONNECT TWO: A READING STRATEGY BEFORE READING
DIRECTIONS: Work with a partner, and take turns identifying
connections between any two words on the list. Be sure to explain
your rationale for the connections you make. Individuals from
each pair then share with the class. Use visuals to support
ELLs, young students and others who need visual assistance.
Benefits of pair work and oral sharing include:
1. Students develop oral language,
2. Students receive appropriate modeling,
3. Students practice supporting and refining their own ideas.
4. Students share prior knowledge, learn from each other, and
have greater linguistic and
conceptual readiness for the reading task.
5. Students can ask for clarification of terms.
6. The teacher can prompt higher-level thought through follow-up
questions.
7. Students are exposed to vocabulary words through various kinds
of connections that
promote both cognitive flexibility and more in-depth
understanding of the terms.
8. The teacher can discuss the connections made and focus on
specific skills used such as:
synonyms, antonyms, root words and derivatives, suffixes and
prefixes, cause and effect
relationships, positive and negative connotations, words that
express different degrees of a
common concept, parts of speech, and so forth.
9. When provided guided practice in context, students can more
readily transfer previous skills
learned to other written and oral activities.
10. Students become more curious about the reading task that
follows.
DURING READING DIRECTIONS: If individual work: Read the assigned
selection and identify the connections made in the book that the
class suggested. Look for new connections and record the
connections you feel are the most interesting or important to
remember on the CONNECT TWO sheet provided.
If pair work: Silently read identified portions of a passage, or
take turns reading out loud, and then discuss connections found
with your partner. Record ideas.
AFTER READING
Individuals or partners share their connections with their teams,
and then team members share with the class. The teacher again
uses questioning techniques to promote higher-level thought and
increase language development.Students discuss the connections
and what they learned. They identify what they learned and
correct any predictions made before reading that were inaccurate.
If students are to be tested on the material, they identify the
connections they feel would most likely be included on an
assessment measure. The teacher provides feedback and additions as
needed. Students are encouraged to use the new vocabulary as
relevant in follow-up assignments. A teacher may require use of a
specified number in a closely related written assignment.
CONNECT TWO
Choose two words from your list. Describe to your partner or
group how those two words are related. You all need to write how
they are connected. Then yourpartner can choose two other words
or add a word to your group.
___________________________ and ________________________________
are connected because ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________________ and ______________________________
_
are connected because ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________________ and _______________________________
are similar because
_______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________________ and _______________________________
are different because
_____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
CONNECT-TWO
1. ___________________________ and ______________________________
go together because ______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________ and ______________________________
go together because ______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________ and ______________________________
go together because ______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________ and ______________________________
go together because ______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________and ______________________________
go together because ______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Word Sort Reading Strategy
A word sort requires students to group words from a reading
passage into different categories. They are called “sorts”
because they involve sorting words written on individual
cards into groups based on commonalities, relationships, and/ or
other criteria. Word sorts require students to actively decide
which words are similar and which words are different. Word
sorts are effective vocabulary building activities which isolate
important words and allow students to construct and share their
own interpretations and definitions. Word sorts are
effective before, during, or after reading a particular passage.
For example, they allow students to familiarize the words from
the passage (before reading), activate and build on their prior
knowledge (during reading), and change receptive vocabulary into
expressive by trying out the words in context (after reading).
In a closed word sort, the teacher lists the categories for the
students to use. In an open word sort, the students discuss the
words and then develop their own categories. In general,
open word sorts are more desirable since they require more
critical thinking, which, in turn, requires students to
communicate and use more language. Open word sorts are also less
risk for second language learners since there are no wrong
answers. On the other hand, a closed word sort is a good way to
review words for a test in which students will be required to sort
information into specific categories. The number of words to use
with second language learners varies depending on the prior
knowledge of the students as well as their language proficiency.
For young children, five to ten words may be appropriate. For
older learners, fifteen to twenty words work well in a word sort
activity.
Developing word sorts:
1. Make a list of 5 to 10 words (or phrases) from the
unit/lesson. The words should be derived from the main
principles, key concepts, and/or topics that you
want to be sure that the students understand.
2. Add any other difficult words from the passage that your
students will need in order to comprehend the text.
3. Look at your list of words. Figure out what categories you
would use if you were going to put these words in some sort of
order.
4. Add a few more words that will help make the existing words
fit into categories. These words may be “easy” or common sense
words that simply offer clues to the students.
Implementing a word sort activity:
1. Have the students work in pairs or small groups. (Working in
pairs will promote more involvement by each student.)
2. Have the students discuss the words and then categorize them.
3. Be sure that the students discuss their reasons for the
categorizing with each other.
4. Have the groups share their categories with whole group.
5. Give students an opportunity to revise their categories after
group discussion.
Adapted from Vaccar, 1996, Lenski, 1999, Tolman & Cieply, 2001 by
Suzanne Wagner, 2001.
SAY SOMETHING: A READING STRATEGY
Say Something is a simple paired reading strategy where students
take turns “saying something” after his/her partner reads. The
students summarize, clarify, make connections to his/her own
life, agree or disagree with an author, ask questions and so
forth.
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES FOR SAY SOMETHING
If teachers are concerned about the need for modeling prior to
pair work, the class could work together first as a class.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Read the paragraph or assigned section.
2. When you finish try to summarize the key points in writing
without looking back at the text.
3. Students take turns saying something to the class. Some
possibilities are listed below, but students should be allowed to
choose what they want to say. The list could be displayed to
evoke ideas.
• Summarize the section read.
• Ask a question to clarify meaning of a word or idea.
• Identify an important question that is answered by the passage.
• Ask a reflective question prompted by the content.
• Relate the content to a personal situation or real-life example.
• React to the ideas in some way that reflects analysis or
evaluation of the reading.
-Agree or disagree with the content or the author’s point of view.
-Discuss the style or logical development of the writer.
-Draw inferences from the reading.
-Compare or contrast this passage with other readings or ideas.
-Identify effective use of a writing skill.
• Share a reading skill that was useful during the reading.
• Predict what will follow in the next section to be read.
After class modeling, students should be prepared to continue Say
Something in pairs. During pair work active involvement and
opportunities for language development are greatly enhanced.
Pairs can share ideas with the class following their
interactions.
NOTE: Initially teachers may select the passage, have students
read it quietly, write if finished early, all pair, pairs share,
then all read the next assigned section.
STORY IMPRESSION: A READING STRATEGY
This is a reading strategy that prompts students to creatively
predict the plot of a story. Select about 7 key words from a
story. They should reflect the main characters, the setting, and
the problem in the story. Students make up a story using those
words. Students then read the story and compare their versions
with the original. (Source Unknown)
COOPERATIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR STORY IMPRESSION
DIRECTIONS: In teams of 4, students take turns making up the
story following the sequence below. Remember to try and use all
of the words provided for you. Then take turns telling the
story, each person contributing his/her own part.
SAMPLE WORDS: Gluscabi, lake, fish, mountain, wind, wolf, snake,
eagle
NUMBER ONE: Decide on the main character. Give the character a
name, and describe where the character is (the setting) and what
s/he is doing when the story begins. You can always add
additional background information about the character.
Sample student version: One windy day Gluscabi was fishing on a
lake. He was 12 years old. His family was hungry, and he wanted
to catch a fish for their dinner.
NUMBER TWO: Describe some problem that the character encounters.
Tell how the character feels and suggest some consequences of the
problem.
Sample student version: Gluscabi caught a beautiful fish. It was
a big trout. Gluscabi was having trouble getting it into his
boat. Suddenly an eagle swept down out of the sky and grabbed his
fish. The eagle flew off with the fish to his nest high on the
mountain. Gluscabi was really mad. He wasn’t going to let an
eagle steal his dinner.
NUMBER THREE: Describe how the character tries to solve the
problem. Include some complications, so the problem isn’t easy to
solve.
Sample student version: Gluscabi took off up the mountain. He was
determined to catch the eagle. On his way he ran into a wolf. The
wolf seemed to be really hungry. Gluscabi threw rocks at the wolf
and finally the wolf started chasing a rabbit.
NUMBER FOUR: Describe how the problem is finally solved and how
the story ends.
Sample student version: Finally, Gluscabi got to the top of the
mountain. He saw the eagle in a nest high on a rock. Gluscabi
climbed up to the nest and started fighting with the eagle.
Gluscabi grabbed the fish and started to run. Suddenly a snake
slithered across his path. The eagle swooped down and caught the
snake. He took the snake to his nest and Gluscabi took his fish
home for dinner.
Teams then collaborate to present their story to the class. As
each team stands in front of the class, each person tells his/her
portion of the predicted story. Students would then read the real
story and compare their versions with the original. The words for
this story were taken from the retelling of a Native American
folktale.
Summary: Gluscabi, a young Native American man, was fishing for
salmon on a beautiful lake at the foot of a mountain. A wind
began to blow so hard he couldn’t fish. Gluscabi got really
angry, decided to climb the mountain and stop the wind. On the
way the wind was so strong he had to crawl like a wounded wolf.
Higher up the mountain, the wind was even stronger, so he had to
slither like a snake. Finally he got to the top of the mountain
and discovered a huge eagle flapping its wings and causing the
strong winds. Gluscabi tricked the eagle and pushed him into the
crevice of a rock. The giant bird was trapped and couldn’t flap
its wings, so the wind stopped. For awhile fishing was very good.
In some stories, there is one solution to the problem. Sometimes,
however, there are some other complications. At first, Gluscabi’s
problem seemed to be solved. However, because there was no wind,
other problems resulted. Gluscabi had to return to the top of the
mountain and talk to the eagle. When the eagle promised to send
only soft winds, Gluscabi freed the bird. That’s why we
usually have soft winds, but the eagle doesn’t always keep his
promise.
Cooperative adaptation of Story Impression by Jeanette Gordon,
Illinois Resource Center,
Summary of The Wind Eagle, a Native American folktale, retelling
by Joyce McGreevy,
Hampton Brown Books, ISBN 1-56334-179-4
NOTE: Younger children would tell a story in 3 parts:
Beginning.
Who is the character?
Where is the character and what is the character doing when the
story starts?
Middle:
The character has a problem.
What is the problem?
How does the character feel?
Ending:
How does the character solve the problem?
How does the story end?
STORY IMPRESSION
Collaborate in teams to make up a story as indicated. Include the
following words in the story.
1. Who is the main character? Where is the character, and what is
the character doing when the story begins?
2. Get the character into a conflict and discuss the consequences
of the problem.
3. Try to solve the problem, but complications arise.
4. Solve the problem and end the story.
DIRECTED READING THINKING ACTIVITY
The DRTA (Directed Reading-Thinking Activity) is intended for use
with any selection at any level of difficulty. It can easily be
implemented across grade and reading levels (Stauffer, 1970).
The purpose of the DRTA method is to develop students' ability to
read critically and reflectively and equip readers :
• to determine purposes for reading
• to extract, comprehend, and assimilate information
• to examine reading material based upon purposes for reading
• to suspend judgments
• to make decisions based upon information gleaned from reading
(Tierney, Readence and Dishner, 1980)
BASIC PROCEDURE
1. Predicting: Open the discussion with such questions as "From
the title, what do you think this story will be about?' After a
brief discussion, the students make predictions or hypotheses,
with the teacher asking questions such as “Why do you think so?"
2. Reading: Ask the students to read silently to an assigned key
stop, a place where the story action seems to mount. Tell them to
turn their books or papers over when they have reached that
point. Monitor the reading and when more than half of the student
have finished, resume instruction.
3. Proving: After reading up to the key stop, the students can
check their hypotheses. You may want them to read aloud those
parts of the story that support their hypotheses. This is
also a good time to recap the main events of the passage.
4. Reasoning: Now, the students should make further hypotheses
about the story’s outcome. These questions should stimulate the
students’ thinking. “What makes you think that?” “Why do you
think so?” “What are some other alternatives?” Repeat the four
steps for each segment of the story. You can predetermine the
segment’s length according to the students reading abilities,
attention spans, and the difficulty and nature of the material.
Note: See below for additional implementation suggestions
SUGGESTIONS FOR DIRECTED READING THINKING ACTIVITY (DRTA)
Common problems with implementation of DRTA:
• Students may not begin reading right away or may not use time
wisely if they finish before others.
• All students may not volunteer to summarize and predict, and
typically all students are not accountable for the reading.
• Some students may need modeling for both summarizing and
predicting.
Suggested modifications:
• Have students in cooperative groups, each student with a
different number. Call a number and have that student in each
group stand to summarize and predict.
o Initially if this task is difficult for students, teachers can
use the cooperative structure of Numbered-heads-together where
students consult with each other prior to being called on to
stand. Later they would not have the opportunity to
discuss prior to standing.
o Because the students realize ,they may be called on, they will
usually start reading immediately and reread when they finish.
• If students need modeling, ask questions to provide a focus for
the reading and to structure the summarizing and predicting.
o For example, before students read a exposition of a story, tell
them to be ready to tell who the main character is, where the
character is when the story begins, what the character is doing,
and what problem occurs.
o After calling a number for students to stand and participate in
summarizing and predicting, ask for volunteers to answer: a
repeat of each of the focus questions, higher-order inference
questions and prediction questions.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS
Be sure that the reading is at the instructional level of the
students. Although some students may not be able to read the
story independently, the summaries and predictions will support
their reading. If the reading is too difficult for some students
but is supported by pictures, the teacher may discuss the
pictures with those students while others read. Those students
would then hear asimple oral summary of the passages. Do not
worry about giving all students time to read the complete
passage. This will help encourage slower readers to read faster.
You may call on them first during the retelling or have them make
predictions. The summary will enable them to follow the reading.
Since the strategy effectively promotes oral language development
and clarifies learning, the students are better prepared for
related literacy tasks.
ANTICIPATION GUIDES
Anticipation Guides were developed to appraise prior knowledge at
the prereading stage and evaluate the acquisition of content
based on postreading responses (Reaction Guides) to the guide
questions. Since Anticipation Guides encourage a personal,
experience-based response, they serve as ideal springboards for
large and small group discussions (Head & Readence,1992). The
primary purposes of anticipation guides are:
1) to elicit students’ prior knowledge about the topic of the
text, and,
2) set purposes for reading.
(Students read to gather evidence that will either confirm their
initial beliefs or cause them to rethink those beliefs.)
Developing anticipation guides:
1. Establish the big ideas, or the main principles of the
lesson/unit.
2. Using the main principles to guide your statements, write 4 –
6 statements with which to ask students to agree or disagree.
3. Develop statements 1) which students have a fair chance of
knowing, 2) which students have (or think they have) some prior
knowledge about, and 3) which will introduce the main principles.
4. DON’T include “trick” or “gotcha” kinds of statements.
5. DO include at least one “foil” – a statement to provoke
discussion and initiate critical thinking.
6. Review statements, making sure that the reading of the passage
and class discussions will provide the answers.
7. Be sure to have students in partners or in groups to share
knowledge and ways of thinking after they fill out the
anticipation guides individually. See below for a related
template.
ANTICIPATION/REACTION GUIDE
Topic: _________________________
Directions: Write A (AGREE) or D (DISAGREE) for each of the
following statements:
Before reading and discussing in class After reading and
discussing in class
1.____________________________________
___________________________________
2.____________________________________
____________________________________
3.____________________________________
____________________________________
4.____________________________________
____________________________________
5.____________________________________
___________________________________
6.____________________________________
__________________________________
RECIPROCAL TEACHING
Reciprocal teaching is an instructional strategy which actively
engages students in constructing meaning. The cognitive
strategies of summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and
predicting are used by good readers naturally. Through modeling
by teacher and classmates and then using the strategies in
groups, it is hoped that each student will eventually internalize
these strategies when reading on his/her own.
Materials: Reading passage; Four strategy cards: summarize,
question, clarify, and predict
(see next page)
SET-UP:
Model and practice each cognitive strategy as a whole class
before implementing group work. Pass out several “summarize”
cards to various students who can serve as models.
Read a passage aloud and ask the student holding the cards to
summarize what you just read. Then, pass out “question” cards to
a few other students. Read another paragraph or
so and ask them to perform the task on the card. Repeat
with “clarify” and “predict” cards.
GROUP WORK:
1. Have students assemble into cooperative groups of four.
2. Write stopping points from the passage on the board.
3. Give each person in the group a different card (see next page.
Note a version for
younger students follows.)
4. Have students read a) silently, or b) round robin, or c) they
or you can choose one member of the group to read aloud to the
first stopping point. After the passage has been read, each
student performs the task on his/her card.
5. When each student has completed his/her job, have the students
switch cards.
6. Continue this procedure until all sections of the passage have
been read and each student has held all four jobs.
DEBRIEFING:
Groups share their findings and differences are discussed as a
whole class.
Based on work by Annemarie Sullivan Palinczar and Ann Brown
1. Summarize 2. Main Idea
3. Clarify 4. Predict
Summarize what has been read. What
are some obvious topic sentences?
What is the main idea?
Clarify any confusing points or vocabulary in the passage. Ask
your group to assist you. You may need to reread parts of the
passage. Use a dictionary or other resource if necessary.
Ask members of your group what they think will happen next. Make
your own prediction.
2. Question:
Ask the members of your group questions about specific information
from the reading. (e.g. What if? When did? How did? Who would?
Why did? What does? Why would?)
1. Say something.
2. Ask a question.
3. Find a big word and use it!
4. Write something!
Say something about what you just read.
What if? When did? How did? Who would? Why did? Why would? Build
your own sentence with your big or new word. Write a long,
interesting sentence about the reading.
Effective Strategies For English Language Learners
Within Shanahan’s Literacy Teaching Framework
Word Knowledge
Explicit instruction in developing letter sound relationships
Word sorts
Word walls
Word banks
Word extensions
Sight words
Synonym trees
Word webbing
Concept maps
Connect twos
Cloze tasks
Flashcards
Phonemic awareness
Clapping phonemes
Synonyms, antonyms,and homonyms
High frequency words
Language Experience
Approach (LEA)
Fluency
Setting purposes for reading
Activating and building prior knowledge
Smaller chunks of text
Guided Reading
Reading with partners
Oral reading
Picture reading
Phrasing/chunking
Language Experience
Approach (LEA)
Echo reading
Choral reading
Teacher readalouds with students following text
Repeated readings
Books on tape
Leveled books
Role playing and drama
Reader’s theater
Songs, chants, poems and rhymes
Independent reading
Reading journals
Comprehension
Working within smaller chunks of text
Predictions
Setting purposes for reading
Developing sense of story
Anticipation guides
DRTA
KWLs
Sentence strips
Oral interpretation
Graphic organizers
Sequencing
Retelling
Compare/Contrast
Predict and Adjust
Venn Diagrams
Journal writing
Mapping
Literature circles
Book parties
Cause/effect
Brainstorming
Character maps
Concept maps
Writing
Language Experience
Approach (LEA)
Modeled writing
Dictations
Authentic writing
Journals and dialog
journals
Literature logs
Mapping
Creating and filling out rubrics
Peer editing
Grammar checks
Messages (morning/closing)
Conferencing
Process writing
Author’s Chair
Writers’ workshop
Publishing
Making books
Story telling
Peer conferencing
Read aloud response journals
Assessing Literacy*
Graphic organizers
Rubrics
Running records
Informal Reading
Inventories (IRIs)
Anecdotal note-taking
Analyzing student work
Observing students
Portfolio development
Reading logs
Poster sessions
Connect twos
Learning logs
Literature response journals
Comprehension questions
*Add evidence and criteria and use these instructional
strategies for assessment
*Assessing Literacy is not a formal part of T. Shanahan’s
framework but is presented here to help teachers plan useful ways
to evaluate students’ early reading and writing in their second
language. S.
Wagner, 2004
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